Down to two...or three?

So I spent the day shopping, which is normally something that I dread, but this was different, it was for a new motorcycle. From my hours spent talking to all the dealers I really narrowed the bike choice down to two bikes. A black-silver Honda CBR1000RR, and a black 2004 Aprilia Tuono. Basically I still think that the Yamaha is the best looking bike of the group, but I couldn’t get most of the guys at the Yamaha dealerships to give me the time of day, yet alone budge on a price or offer anything to sweeten the deal. The first place I stopped was Perry Brothers Honda. I am still upset that they moved so far away. It was really nice having them 5 minutes from my house. They really seem to want to make the deal right for me, from giving me what I want out of my old bike, offering a killer service package, finding the right color since they didn’t have one in stock, and offering 250 bucks worth of free stuff. I really did like the Buell, but unfortunately they have some things that I found a little “cheap”, like the control switches. Otherwise I really could see myself on a Buell, and would probably love it. Problem with this route, is that they aren’t going to offer me a trade-in at all on my Honda since they are after all a Harley dealership. So then for giggles we stopped to look at the Aprilia Tuono, and while we were at it a Ducati. Well the Tuono was something that I thought I might be interested in, and I was right. I really like the style. I was never much of a “naked” bike fan, but I am slowly being won over. The Tuono is an Italian “exotic” of sorts. So the guy that owns the shop was really nice, and was willing to work on the price for me. The big surprise came when I asked about a service agreement. This is one of my big points. I HATE having to worry about maintenance on my bike. With my current bike I have always been able to just cruise to the dealer and drop it off for all of the scheduled maintenance. This is one thing that I insist upon for my new bike. Yamaha was not willing to do this. So the owner explains that this isn’t something that he has done before, but has thought about it, and asked if maybe I would be willing to be his test dummy to see how it would all work out. Something I am more than willing to do. So he is going to package me up an offer on the Tuono that he has in stock. The sticker was over 13k, but I have a feeling with the service contract it will come in less than 12 for everything. But there I am left selling my CBR, which I don’t imagine will be difficult as it constantly gets looks. So there I wait, hopefully by Monday I will be more prepared to make a decision.

The Tuono...Is this my next bike?

Physical Therapy

So today I went to my first physical therapy appointment. I have had pretty bad carpel tunnel for the last several weeks, and my ankle hasn't been the same since I twisted it two years ago. My brother in-law is a physical therapist, so my choice was obvious. After a consult I was hooked to an electro-shock therapy for my arm and iced both my ankle and arm down. Then I was given some stretches and exercises to do. I really hope that I can get my arm feeling better, I have gotten used to the pain in my ankle. Eventually though surgery on my ankle is inevitable.

Only two weeks left until my first mountain bike race. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I was hoping to be in St. George tonight and tomorrow to go pre-ride the course, but because the weather was raining down south I opted to not go. Hopefully I can get down there next weekend for a pre-ride.

Tomorrow is my daughters 1st birthday. It’s hard to believe that she is already one…

A new motorcycle?

So I am thinking about replacing my venerable Honda CBR600F4i. It has been a wonderful steed and is still a great running machine. That is where I think I should sell it. I am concerned that it will soon start to fall apart. I have put quite a few miles on her as she is my only form of transportation. I'm sure she has quite a few miles left in her as she has been pampered her whole life. Anyway, this post isn't about my current bike, but about the bike she will be replaced with. I am really leaning towards a 2005 Yamaha R1 in raven black. The black is more expensive, but well worth it. Also under consideration is the Honda 1000RR either in black/silver or the Repsol replica. The Honda would be the ticket hands down, but unfortunately for Perry Honda they moved 45 minutes away (they used to be 3 minute walk from here). I have had good luck with Honda motorcycles (but not thier cars), so this is a logical choice. The one thing I HATE is the swingarm. Why make the whole frame on the bike black, and then leave the swingarm silver? If I buy this bike I would have to get this fixed. The next choice is the Honda VFR800. This is the bike that makes the most sense to my brain. It is a more comfortable touring bike and has optional hard luggage that is painted to match (as opposed to my soft luggage). But it is heavy and underpowered in comparison to the rest of the bikes here (with exception of the Buell). The VFR just doesn't make my heart pitter-patter. On to a bike I would love to own, but may not even be available for several more months. The KTM 990 Super Duke. This is a cool bike, how could it not be when it is orange! Problem is that there is basically no wind protection at all. At least on the R1, the 1000rr, and my current steed, I get some wind protection (this is where the VFR stands ahead of the others). I don't know what the price of the Duke is, but it has a 130hp V-twin, and made in Austria (almost German engineering). Then to the Tuono... This is a cool bike. All of the magazine test riders love this bike. Again it is a "naked" bike, so it offers little to no protection. I know my buddy Dave doesn't care for the naked bike thing, but it offers a sense of raw mechanical prowess that I just can't explain. Again the Tuono is a V-twin with reasonable power (not the 180 offered by the R1 though). V-twin engines have a unique engine sound, and have more torque than your usual inline 4. The R1 has a 15,000 RPM redline whereas the V-twins are in the 8-9,000 range. Last but not least is the Buell Lightning 1200. Even though this bike has the biggest engine here it has the least power. But it has some unique features that I like. Take the belt-drive for example. The chain drive on a regular bike is a messy pain in the butt to maintain. I also like the under-body exhaust that it has. Again it is a naked bike with little to no wind protection so cruising at 85MPH+ would ot be so fun, but truth be told 90% of my riding is to work and back in 35MPH or less zones. I do a couple of 3,000+ mile rides a year though, so the bike needs to be comfy on the long haul. Anyway, I posted a group of pictures of these bikes below. Take a look, and let me know what you think. Right now it is all just a thought, and may not happen, but I'm going to look around...

Choices Choices Choices...